PORT ANGELES — In a game that seesawed back and forth all night, the Lefties couldn’t respond to a two-run top of the ninth by Cowlitz, as they lost to the Bears 7-6.
The Lefties and Bears traded the lead four times during Friday’s game, with the Lefties twice coming back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2. But, in the bottom of the ninth, after the Bears broke through in the top of the inning to retake the lead, the Lefties could only manage a two-out walk from Mitchell Hagan in the bottom of the ninth. He was stranded on first when the final out was made.
Aki Buckson had a big night Friday for the Lefties, going 3 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI.
Benny Kaleiwahea and Michael Ciancio each hit solo home runs. John Burghardt and Kaleiwahea each scored two runs, while Jake Portaro had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs.
The Bears totally stayed away from Lefties slugger Ian Nowak, who finished the game with four walks.
Kieran Shaw started the game, going three innings and giving up two earned runs on three hits. Trayson Kubo had a good game coming out of the pen, pitching 1 1/3 innings, striking out three without giving up a hit or a walk. Ty Gartner pitched the ninth and took the loss, giving up two hits and two walks in the inning.
Cowlitz 7, Port Angeles 6
Bears 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 2 — 7 10 0
Lefties 0 0 1 0 2 3 0 0 0 — 6 9 1
WP: West LP: Gartner
Pitching
Bears — Blowers 4.1IP, 6H, 3ER, 3BB, 4K; Strickland 1.2IP, 3H, 3ER, 3BB, 2K; West 2IP, BB, 2K; Kechely 1IP, BB, K.
Lefties — Shaw 3IP, 3H, 2ER, 3BB, K; Fultz 3IP 4H, 2ER, 2BB, 3K; Reynolds, 0.2IP, H, ER, 2BB, K; Kubo 1.1IP, 3K; Gartner 1IP, 2H, 2ER, 2BB.
Hitting
Bears — Granberg 1-4, 2RBI, 2BB; Voss 1-3, R, 2RBI, BB; Kim 3-4, R, 2RBI, BB; Nygaard 1-4, 2B, R, SB.
Lefties — Buckson 3-5, 2B,RBI, R; Portaro 2-5, 2B, 2RBI, Ciancio 1-5, R, RBI; Burghardt 1-2, 2R; Kaleiwahea 1-3, 2R, RBI, BB; Nowak 0-1, 4BB, SB.
Thursday’s Game
Cowlitz 5, Port Angeles 2
Cowlitz also beat Port Angeles Thursday night 5-2 in a game that was close late. The Lefties took a 2-1 lead in the first inning on a two-run single by Sean Roby.
The game was still tied 2-2 into the seventh inning when Cowlitz scored a run to take the lead. The Bears tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the ninth.
Roby finished the game with two hits, while Kevin Kendall and Jake Portaro each scored a run. Portaro also hit a double.
Luke Fralely started, going four innings, giving up just two earned runs on four hits and striking our four. Aaron Charles pitched the fifth and sixth innings and took the loss, giving up one run on one hit, three walks and two strikeouts.
It was the final game of the year between Cowlitz and Port Angeles. The Bears gave the Lefties fits this season, winning five out of six.
The Lefties (16-27 overall, 6-10 second half) played Kitsap Saturday night in a nonleague game after press deadline. They will play Kitsap again at 4:35 p.m. today, then take Monday off. They have 11 West Coast League games left to try and catch Victoria (8-5 in the second half, 3 1/2 games ahead of Port Angeles) if they want to have a chance at a postseason berth.
Cowlitz 5, Port Angeles 2
Bears 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 — 5 6 0
Lefties 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 2 9 2
WP: Cole Henderson LP: Aaron Charles
Pitching
Bears — Merrill 6IP, 8H, 2ER, 6K 0BB; Henderson 2IP, H, 3K; Kechely 1IP, 2K.
Lefties — Fralely 4IP, 2ER, 2BB, 4K; Charles 2.1IP, H, ER, 3BB, 2K; Hooper 2.2IP H, 2ER, BB, 2K.
Hitting
Bears — Pearson 2-4, R; Kim 1-2, R, HR, 2RBI, 2BB; Quiggle 1-2, 2R, BB. SB; Roberts 1-4, 2B.
Lefties — Roby 2-4, 2RBIs; Pauwells 2-4; Kendall 1-4, R, SB; Portaro 1-4, 2B, R.
